The Craftsman 7800690 26 HP 52 Inch Zero Turn Mower is very similar to the Craftsman Professional 52″ 24hp Zero Turn Mower except #7800690 is more powerful. A less powerful Zero Turn Mower from Craftsman is the Craftsman 7800753 21 HP 42 Inch Zero Turn Mower. The engine that powers the 7800690 is a Briggs & Stratton Platinum Series model. This 26-horsepower engine is air-cooled and uses a cartridge-style air filter. Each of the 2 cylinders have cast iron liners. The pressure lubrication system comes standard with an oil filter.
Since the Craftsman 26hp 52″ mower is a zero turn model, it uses 2 lap bars instead of a flywheel to control how much power each of the rear wheels gets, as well as whether they move forward or backward. Thanks to the dual hydrostatic transmission, you are able to control each wheel independently of the other, which is exactly what allows you to execute zero radius turns. Since the rear wheels do all the driving and maneuvering, as well as carry most of the weight of the mower, they are much larger, measuring 18×9. 5 (18 inches in diameter, 9. 5 inches wide), while thefront wheels are much smaller, each measuring 11x4s (11 inches in diameter, 4 inches wide).
The cutting deck on this mower has a 52-inch cutting width. The deck height of cut is adjusted using an electric raise and lower system giving you an infinite number of cutting heights. The lowest deck cuts in is 1. 5 inches, while the tallest it cuts in is 3. 75 inches. On the outer edge of the mower deck are 4 small plastic wheels that force the deck to follow the contours of the grass you are mowing, thus preventing it from cutting through the grass and leaving ugly scars.
